From Far Across the Yellow Field
by CamsthiSky
Summary: "You wanna talk about it?" "Not really," Dick says, and Wally notices that he hasn't quite met Wally's gaze this entire time. Not a good sign, all things considering. "I just don't want to go home tonight." "Well," Wally says, "how about we grab that ice cream and then we hit that field. You know, the one we camped in that one we camped in that one time?" "Yeah. Let's do that."


_Wanna get some ice cream?_

 _it's like 4 am_

 _So?_

 _what ice cream place is gonna b open_

There's no response for a few minutes, and Wally stares at his phone screen. He doesn't know why Dick's texting him at the crack of dawn, but he's not going to leave his best friend hanging. Especially if this is what Wally thinks it is.

Dick has been having a few problems—with Bruce, with Batman, with _life,_ Dick had confided in him. Wally knows that there's been more than a few arguments, and he hopes that Dick's just frustrated and needs an outlet. Someone to vent to. A friend to talk to so Dick can get back up on his feet again.

Wally's phone buzzes.

 _Please?_

Wally sighs and texts back, _sure but gimme 2 min_

 _30 seconds_

Wally rolls his eyes, but he's ready in the blink of an eye and speeds towards Gotham. He knows where Dick is, too, and he makes to the rooftop of Wayne Industries with 3 seconds left to spare. And of course, there's Dick.

He's not Robin. Just Dick Grayson, sitting on the ledge of an extremely high building, and Wally thinks that maybe anybody else would freak out at seeing Bruce Wayne's kid so close to falling. But Wally knows Dick. And he knows that he capable and he won't fall unless he wants to.

And like Wally said. He trusts Dick. He trusts him not to fall.

Wally sits down next to Dick, and Dick half-leans into him.

"Did you guys fight again?" Wally asks.

Dick hums softly, his eyes roving over the city below them. Wally follows his gaze, and he wonders what Dick sees in Gotham. From what he's experienced, it's a tough place to live. It constantly needs saving from itself. A lot of the police force used to be corrupt until the Commissioner stepped up and started weeding out the dirty cops. Theft, rape, murder—it's everywhere in this city. Not to mention the absolute psychopaths that crop up like cockroaches.

So yeah, Wally wonders. But he doesn't ask, because for some reason, Dick loves this city. Maybe not as much as Batman does, but he still seems to love it.

"Do I need to beat him up?" Wally asks, mostly just to break the silence, but also because if Bruce decided to be an ass again, Wally thinks he actually might storm into the Batcave and try to punch the Big Bad Bat. "I'll do it. You know I will."

Dick's lip quirk up in some mockery of a smile. "I know."

Wally deflates. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really," Dick says, and Wally notices that he hasn't quite met Wally's gaze this entire time. Not a good sign, all things considering. "I just don't want to go home tonight."

"Well," Wally says, a small grin pulling his own lips up, "how about we grab that ice cream and then we hit that field. You know, the one we camped in that one time?"

Dick finally looks at him, and he looks so _tired_. So sad and exhausted, and Wally's glad that he'd been awake when Dick had texted. He doesn't think that Dick should be alone right now. Or any time, really. Dick doesn't deserve it.

"Yeah." Dick lets out a soft sigh. "Yeah, let's do that."

Wally stands up, helps Dick to feet, and Dick climbs on his back. They've done this a million times before. It's familiar when Dick curls his arms around Wally's neck, and then they're speeding off, stopping by a 24-hour diner to eat some ice cream before speeding towards the field.

 _Their_ field.

It doesn't take long, all things considered, and when they get there, all they really have light-wise is the sinking full moon shining down on them. It's not a lot, but it's enough. And Wally knows this place like the back of his hand.

Dick climbs off his back and both of them just kind of stand there, staring at the field in front of them.

It's Dick who breaks the silence first. "What are we even doing here?"

"I mean, we can star gaze," Wally suggests. Then he looks up at the lightening sky. "Or watch the sunrise. I don't think it's too far off. Come on."

Wally grabs Dick's hand and leads him through the knee-high grass dotted with flowers and then pulls Dick down with him when he sits. Dick doesn't protest, just leaning his head on Wally's shoulder. Wally lets him, supporting Dick's weight at four something in the morning like it's the most normal thing in the world.

"You're starting senior year," Dick says suddenly, and it's almost casual. Like it's just occurred to him that it's the summer before Wally's last year of high school. But Wally knows better. He can hear the slight nervousness. There's something resigned about his tone, too. "Are you excited?"

Wally sighs and decides to go with it. They'll get to the root of this soon. When Dick's ready to open up. "I guess? I've gotta start looking at colleges, soon. Artemis says there's one in California that's nice and would work for both of us."

"That's—" Dick's breath hitches slightly, but he keeps going, "That's a long way from Gotham."

"It's a long way from anywhere," Wally agrees. "But I'll still be around."

"Yeah," Dick says. "I know."

"I don't think you do, actually," Wally argues before he can think better of it. Dick stiffens, but he doesn't pull away from Wally, so Wally keeps going. It's important. "You're my best friend, Dick. I'm not going to just go to college and leave you alone all of the suddenly. I'll still be around."

"I _know_ that," Dick tells him. "But sometimes it's—I think that everything's changing too quick. Things will be different, and I want it to stay like it is now. I feel like if we all take a step forward, it's not going to be together. We're all going to be in different places."

Wally nudges Dick. "Hey. Don't do that to yourself. You're my best friend, and do you honestly not think that I'll be there for you?"

"You will," Dick says, and his shoulders slump. "I'm being dumb. Sorry."

"You're not being dumb." Wally sighs. "You're scared, Dick, and that's fine. You're fighting with Bruce more and more, and we're growing up and—and—"

Wally stutters to a stop and looks up at the rapidly paling sky. He's not going to tell Dick this. Not while Dick is feeling like this, but he's scared, too. Of growing up. Of leaving behind his life in Keystone and possibly moving across the country. But he's also excited. Looking forward to tackling his future after high school and what it'll bring.

"And what?" Dick prods quietly.

"We're growing up," Wally repeats. "And that's scary, but it's also going to be okay. Because we're best friends, right? And best friends don't abandon each other."

"Right," Dick says, and his voice sounds a little stronger. The moments where Dick doesn't seem strong and smart and ready to face the world are far and few between, but Wally's seen sides of his friend some people never will. And behind that smile Dick puts on for others, there's a hurting kid that just wants to be surrounded by the people he loves. And he can't be with Bruce right now. And Wally promises himself that he'll always be there. "Thanks, Wally. There's nowhere else that I'd rather be right now."

"Me, too," Wally says. "It's too bad we can't really see the sunrise, though."

Dick snorts. And then he shoots Wally a small grin—one that Wally hasn't seen all night. Dick shoots to his feet, races towards the near tree line, and from far across the yellow field, he calls over his shoulder, "I have to show you this, Wally! Follow me!"

Wally shakes his head and follows Dick through the field of tall grass and yellow flowers and into the tree line at a somewhat normal—for a regular person—jogging pace. He finds Dick at the base of a tree that rises far taller into the sky than the others, grin turned mischievous.

"What are you planning?" Wally asks.

Dick nods towards the tree. "We're gonna climb it. We'll be able to see the sunrise from up there."

Wally hums and watches as Dick expertly grabs onto the lowest branch and pulls himself up. It could just be his training in the circus and under Batman, but Wally thinks that maybe this isn't the first time that Dick has climbed this particular tree to watch a sunrise.

That thought hurts his heart a little, though, so Wally shoves it aside, and follows Dick up into the tree. One foot after another, branch by branch, high and higher. It becomes a rhythm, and Wally's breathily laughing as he climbs. And then he breaks through the leaves, high enough to see the field over the other trees and beyond.

He's breaths out a soft, _"wow,"_ before he can catch himself, and Dick laughs again. Short and carefree and _happy._ Wally smiles at the bright sound, and he twists to see his friend perched on a branch. Well, he'd definitely named himself aptly. He fits right in. Looks just like a bird.

And Wally opens his mouth to tell Dick that, but there's a short crack, and time freezes for a second. The smile freezes on Dick's face, and they both understand what's happening at the same exact time that Wally starts to fall. Dick lunges for Wally's hand, but he's a beat too late.

Time skips and Wally finds himself on the ground, looking up at the tree above him. His arm is suspiciously numb, and he doesn't want to move. He groans as he hears Dick calling out his name.

"Wally!" Dick shouts, and Wally watches blearily as Dick flips down the branches with barely a thought for how dangerous that probably is. But he's coming. For Wally. To make sure Wally is okay, and Wally lets out a strangled laugh. Dick drops to the ground and crouches down next to him. "Are you okay, Wally?"

"I'm good," Wally says, still chuckling.

Dick blinks. "You're sure?"

Wally makes to get up, but his arm flares up in pain, and Dick's hovering over him as he drops back onto the ground beneath him. "Maybe not so good," Wally says faintly. He can already feel his healing kicking in. He'll be okay in a few days, probably, but that doesn't mean it feels good. "I think my arm's broken."

"Sorry," Dick says. "I thought it'd be a good idea to—"

"It was," Wally tells him. "But I'm a clutz, remember?"

"Yeah." Dick laughs, but it sounds kind of watery, like he's a few moments from crying. Wally closes his eyes and remembers that falling isn't something so easily brushed off in Dick's book. Falling comes with hard memories and life changing events, and Wally knows that Dick's probably not going to be okay for the next few days.

But still, Dick had come to get him. Wally remembers the day he'd found out about Dick's parents. About how Dick had stayed up on the platform after his parents had fallen and he'd sat there and screamed. Froze. Couldn't make himself move as they fell.

So Wally pushes himself up into a sitting position, grabs Dick's hand, and pulls him into a light hug. "I'm okay, Dick. Really."

And Dick melts into the hug, and he nods. "Right. Just—let's not do that again."

Wally snorts. "Agreed."

They sit like that for a while, and Wally doesn't even pay attention to the pain in his arm until the sun is well past risen and Dick's ready to pull away. It's a nice thing to know, that if he falls, Dick will come running. Will try to catch him.

Wally knows that he'll do the same. Dick's his best friend, and he'll always be there for him. That's what a best friend is _for_ , after all.


End file.
